Suppressed Emotions
by KairinKagari
Summary: Set after the Second Bloody Valentine, Cagalli Yula Athha finds herself focused on the pink device given to her by a certain raven haired Will she be able to accept her former enemy's confession? Read how every decision brought the two new lovebirds CHAPTER 5 UPDATED
1. Voice Recordings

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GUNDAM SEED DESTINY =D

Please R&R! Thanks! I plan to turn this into a multi-chap and I hope you wait for Chapter 2!

~ Before_: __kairin11seiran_ Now: _**KairinKagari**_

* * *

The blonde princess of the ORB Union finds herself sadly looking at a pink handheld device that was given to her by a certain person. She carefully flipped the gadget and browsed its contents by tapping certain combinations of buttons. She sat down on her bed, her legs crossed. The princess took a glance at the picture gallery of the said device. She saw various pictures of a young girl, a young boy and their parents. She sighed deeply as her mind thought about the owner of the device. She saw the smiles of the four people who were mostly the ones contained in the pictures. She decided to look at the other folders in the device and opened them one by one. She first opened the 'Email' folder. She scanned and saw that most of the messages were from either the parents or from the older brother of the original owner of the pink device. It was mostly random message, like what time she's coming home from school, or if the older brother can buy her a slice of her favorite cake.

The young Lioness checked the other folders, which was to her dismay, empty. That was until she clicked on a certain folder with the label, 'Voice Recorder'. Her eyes widen as she listened to the oldest recording that was dated, October 2 CE 73.

"_**The date is October 2, Cosmic Era 73... I have decided to record my very first voice recording for a certain someone. I have lost my phone during the war, also the same time I lost my parents and my sister. I admit that all this time, I have been rough on you and that I can't accept the fact that I didn't understand anything at all. I was selfish, not trying to think about the things you've experienced. I was an idiot for shouting at you like that. I was angry but deep inside I felt like I have sinned to myself as well. I walked past the room you were currently using while you stayed at the Minerva. It felt like earth was thrown at me because I heard you talking to your bodyguard and that you were sobbing real head. I've decided to keep my act of 'hating' you because I've already showed my friends my rage and I didn't want them to think that it was all an act. I have admired you ever since, and I wish that I didn't have to do that to you. I was such an idiot... Oops, I hear Rey's footsteps... I better go, over and out."**_

Cagalli heard the recording cut off after the last statement and by that time, she didn't realize that there were tears flowing through her cheeks. Her index and middle finger touched where the tears trailed off and then wiped her eyes with the back of her right hand. She continued to listen to the remaining 4 recordings. She played the next oldest that was dated weeks after the oldest one.

"_**It's been a few weeks since I last recorded. Not that it's a routine or anything, but I want to do this because nobody knew who the real Shinn Asuka was. So, around this time, the Minerva has left ORB long ago. We heard that you signed a treaty with the Earth Alliance Forces. You came to the Minerva before we left and talked with Captain Gladys. I know I was rough on you yet again, and I'm really sorry. As I've said, I will continue with my act. We were attacked by ORB and the EAF. If I didn't have the resolve to protect my friends, we would've died. I was disappointed with you. I was... sad... I was thinking if I'll still continue my act or to just make the anger real. The most recent happening was Athrun Zala being assigned to the Minerva and a FAITH member at that. Who would imagine that the bastard would just appear and be my superior? I know you're probably mad at me for saying stuff against your bodyguard..."**_

The Princess laughed softly at Shinn's words.

"_**...but I never liked him that much. Oh, I almost forgot! Before that, we heard that you were getting married to a... Yuna Roma Seiran? I was devastated to hear that but who am I to act all rash when I know that you and Athrun had... something? Anyways, he's in ZAFT again so I guess something happened? He did show strong attachment to the whole crew of the Archangel and trust me; it was hard on our part. That idiot goes on and on about how 'Kira and Cagalli wouldn't do such a thing'. Bah! I hate it when he does that. Oh, sorry for ranting... We're currently docked at Carpentaria and we're re-supplying. After that, we fought the Chaos, Abyss and Gaia... I saved the slaves from a nearby base from those evil Naturals. Yoohoo!"**_

The voice cleared his throat as the blonde laughed once again, now, more lively.

"_**Oh, it slipped my mind that you're a natural... I didn't mean to say that all of the naturals are evil... Well, you get my point... Oh yeah, Athrun Zala slapped me... I just... ought to inform you..."**_

A soft laugh was heard from the recording and the sound of him scratching his head could be heard. The Lioness giggled at Shinn's sudden action.

"_**He thought that what I did was wrong... I just back talked him and said that I did what I thought was right... Uh oh... Athrun's here... Better get going!"**_

Again, the sound that signaled the end of the recording was heard. Cagalli moved on to the next recording that was dated a few days after the second recording.

"_**Hey! This is my third recording so far... I don't have the time to record every other day because we're all busy. First, we did a mission regarding a positron cannon thing... I saved more people and got another beating from Athrun. Damn that Zala! Sorry for ranting again... So, we reached Diocuia, and there we met Chairman Durandal. Captain Gladys, Rey, Athrun, Luna and I were invited to a meal and we talked about certain matters about the concept of wars. Athrun said that there was a person who told him that if we keep on killing each other, then how can we have peace or something like that...? I don't remember the exact words. I want to meet that person who told him that and I want to personally thank him or her for knocking some sense to Athrun. I doubt it was effective though..."**_

A carefree laugh echoed through the room of the Chief Representative as the laugh of the owner of the voice made her laugh.

"_**...because he's still an idiot... A night after that, I met an Natural named Stella Loussier. I just saved her from drowning and pretty much stayed inside a cave because our clothes were wet and we had to stay put for a while. I felt so helpless because she was so afraid of dying. It was like imagining that I killed her parents and that she grew up with a trauma that she might be next. After a while, our respective groups found us and we were finally back. She was back with her brothers and I was back at the Minerva. Then... I... No, we... We fought you and the Archangel at Dardanelles... That Athrun said that I really loved ORB and I denied that fact after I went out to sortie. It was the time when we believed that your intervention caused confusion to the battlefield. It's true that I charged at you but inside, I was amazed... You were out there with the Strike Rouge, the mobile suit that belongs to no one but you... You had the guts to go out there, even though you were not sure whether they'll listen to you or not. Nonetheless, I did what I was ordered to and tried to finish all of you there... "**_

Cagalli had to pause the recording because she heard a knock on her door. She opened the door, literally dragging her tired body and was met by a brown haired guy who she knew and loved very much. It was her twin brother, Kira Yamato. It turns out that he was checking up on her and he hugged his sister before bidding her good night. The princess yawned and waved at Kira, her eyes dropping and was on the verge of falling asleep while standing up. She closed the door, threw herself on her bed and slapped her face with both hands lightly, just enough to wake her up. She continued to listen to the recording.

"_**... That last minute attack on the Tannhauser really surprised me... Oh, sorry for spouting nonsense... Well, it did cause us confusion and as a result, a FAITH member died, the Gaia slicing through his GOUF. The Gaia was originally trying to hit the Freedom because the pilot was taking on all of us! Yeah, it was aggravating but I guess he just wanted both sides to stop... and you guys decided to back off and leave. I lashed out to my teammates, complaining to them about why ORB has decided to intervene. I guess, you just wanted to stop all the fighting, right? Oh... I feel that Athrun's about to open the door... better go, until the next recording, bye!"**_

Cagalli was reminded by that incident in Dardanelles. Indeed, an orange GOUF was sliced into half by the Gaia and it made the princess tear up. She knew very well that there were ORB soldiers fighting, ordered by ORB leader at that time, Yuna Roma Seiran. She wiped her tears with her hands and clicked on the fourth recording.

"_**This recording is a bit weird in my opinion compared to the last recording... and it will be short. It's already 3 in the morning and I have to wake up early so I'll just tell you right now what I want to say. We found a lab at Lodonia and learned about the Alliance's Extendeds. I was thinking that maybe Stella was an Extended, seeing as how she charged at us when we infiltrated the facility. I beat her and took her to the Minerva. I was starting to have feelings for her and I didn't realize that I might choose her over you. After a while, we fought against you again and as much as I want to destroy you, I can't get myself to do it. It felt so wrong to hurt you and I didn't want that. I heard a bit of Kira and Athrun's conversation and even though I was really angry and destroyed the Takemikazuchi, I still remember the exchange of words. It was about how you kept on crying because you didn't want it to happen, and that Athrun didn't understand that what he tried to destroy was what you tried to protect. A stab on the chest... It's so painful to think how much pain and suffering we have caused you... Anyway, I'm feeling really sleepy. I'll just go ahead, okay? Good Night."**_

The sound of the recording ended and once again, Cagalli was brought to tears. This time, however, she was crying real hard that she had to cover her face with both hands and began sobbing. She took a small towel from her dresser and wiped her face that was wet with tears. She slowly opened the door of her room, careful not to wake up her servants as she needed a drink of water. She tiptoed her way to the kitchen and saw a person sleeping, his head being supported by his arms that were placed on the dining table. She patted the back of his head and smiled, no one seeing her gesture. He stirred in his sleep and shrugged the feeling off unconsciously. She took a glass from the kitchen and filled it with water and soon drank every single drop and then placed it on the counter top. She went back the way she came and patted the back of the same guy's head again. She proceeded back to her room and covered herself with a blanket. She clicked on the last recording that was recorded a few days after the Second Bloody Valentine.

"_**Hey... Sorry if I had to wait until the end of the war to record this. It's just that, I want to record what my real intentions were, and this time, I'm not going to talk about that damn war. It's all rubbish to hear me spout random facts about what happened to us during the war... Maybe I just wanted to say something, you know? Well, now... The wars finally over, the PLANTs and ORB agreed to a truce and are now looking for a way to end the war completely. We visited ORB, Lunamaria and I were the only ones who didn't pay a visit to you at your office. Athrun and Meyrin supposedly came to see you, and I guess Kira and Lacus did the same. By then, Luna and I were already dating... I was thinking if this was the best thing to do, and the fact that my feelings towards you just kept on growing and I can't make myself tell you the truth. After all, Athrun's back to ORB as an Admiral and that you two are together again. It hurt me to see you happy with him. I was just a lowly knight and I could never match the superiority of the so called, Red Knight. Sure he was a traitor to both ZAFT and ORB, but I know how much you love him... Every time I think about ORB, I think about you, Stella and Mayu. I'd say, the most important girls in my life... Two who are dead, and the other one, alive but can't be with me. I'm planning to give this to you and I know it doesn't really say how much I love you but believe me when I say that my feelings are real and that I hope you take it to heart. Thank you, I'm sorry, and... Good bye..."**_

The recording ended with a 'click' sound and the princess' tears won't stop flowing. She didn't know that Shinn felt that way towards her and now she knew why all this time, no matter how much she felt that he was trying to kill her, that he really wasn't trying, finds herself lost. Never did it occur to her that Shinn tried his best to fight seriously and at the same time, not to finish her off in one swing. She knew that a single hit from the Impulse's anti-ship swords or the Destiny's sabers would kill her but he was so careful, that he was instead backed off by either the Freedom or its upgraded version, the Strike Freedom. The blonde haired Princess of the ORB Union closed the phone and placed it on top of her bedside table. She turned off her lamp and went to sleep, with tears on her eyes.


	2. Flashbacks

DISCLAIMER: DO I ALWAYS HAVE TO SAY IT? (^.^) I don't own Gundam SEED Destiny

Here's Chapter 2!

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As usual, Cagalli Yula Athha, the Chief Representative of ORB, was roaming around her small but prosperous island nation. She visited schools, hospitals and other public facilities once a week. She wanted to make sure that repairs were going on smoothly and that those who lost their homes were given proper shelter. As the princess patted a random child's head, an ORB Admiral approached and called out to her.

"Cagalli!"

At the mention of her name, the blonde stood up and turned to the person who called her.

"Kira...? What's wrong?"

Panting, Kira Yamato took a deep breath before finally answering his sister.

"Shinn's here... with Athrun..."

"Athrun and... Shinn...?"

"Let's go meet them."

Kira gestured a 'let's go' to Cagalli. She went to a patrolling soldier and told him to take care of things while she attends to the urgent matter. The soldier simply nodded and saluted. The princess saluted back and ran with Kira to the Parliament House.

Upon entering the vicinity, they saw Shinn and Athrun sitting down at the lobby. The twins approached them and as the two ZAFT Aces saw them coming, they stood up and greeted them with a straight face.

"Kira, Cagalli..." Athrun started. He can't look at Cagalli and Kira straight to the eyes because it was still fresh in their memories the _thing _Athrun did. Before Athrun could muster what he wanted to say, Shinn Asuka spoke.

"Hello Admiral Yamato and Representative Athha..." He greeted, bowing his head then looked at them with no emotion.

"What are two ZAFT soldiers doing here? Are you here to wage war against ORB?" Cagalli crossed her arms, raising a brow, as if asking for an argument.

"Why are you assuming that we want war? Would you just stop talking! You're once again _**confusing **_us with your actions!" Shinn burst out, startling the people on the first floor of the Parliament House, raising a fist in front of Cagalli. The raven haired boy emphasized the word, 'confusing'.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just assumed because a certain _someone _betrayed ORB once again." Cagalli growled, looking at the midnight haired boy, rolling her eyes.

"Cagalli... Please don't take this personally. We're here because..." Athrun wasn't able to finish as Shinn butted in.

"... We made a commotion and as punishment, we're to do community service here in ORB..." Shinn continued from where Athrun left off, lowering his voice as he finished the sentence.

"...made a..." Cagalli started.

"...commotion...?" Kira ended, both amazed at the revelation of the two Coordinators.

"It went off like this..." Athrun tried to explain, his head looking upwards.

**~ATHRUN'S FLASHBACK~**

"_What the hell are you doing here, Zala!?" Shinn asked in a shouting voice after seeing Athrun with a suitcase, entering his personal quarters._

_Putting his case down, Athrun took a deep breath and explained himself."I was kicked out of ORB... Cagalli literally kicked me in the crotch and well... here I am..."_

"_That princess is really insane! Maybe you did something to piss her off... You're her fiancée for heaven's sake... "_

"_...ex-fiancée... " Athrun muttered in a soft voice._

"_What...? I didn't hear you..." Shinn demanded, looking at Athrun with a hint of worry._

"_Cagalli's not my fiancée anymore... We're through..."_

"_..."_

"_..."_

"_WHAT. IN THE WORLD. WHY!?" Shinn was dumbfounded but was able to react in way._

"_I... uh..." _

"_...you...?" Shinn was running out of patience. He was already tapping his left foot, with both hands on his waist._

"_Shinn... Can we not talk about it?"_

"_Why not? I want to know why a traitor to ZAFT would unleash a sin by pissing off that insane Goddess of Victory, or whatever you call her..."_

"_...Unleash a sin..? It doesn't sound right putting those words together like that..." Athrun wanted to know about the young boy's choice of words._

"_Unleash because it'll cause massive problems for yourself and a sin because no one should ever hurt a girl..."_

_The Red Knight understood what he meant. It was true that problems will arise and that Cagalli's not going to let him talk to her ever again."... I'm surprised, Shinn..." Athrun tried to change the topic, preventing Shinn from asking more about what happened._

"_Huh...? Why?"_

"_Are you worried about Cagalli? It's unusual for you to..."_

"_I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THAT BITCH!" Shinn slammed his fist on the nearest surface._

"_Easy, Shinn..." Athrun positioned his hands, calming down Shinn._

"_I don't care about your reasons, but I'll clear this to you... I DON'T LIKE HER, OKAY!" Shinn stomped out of the room, leaving Athrun behind._

**~END OF ATHRUN'S FLASHBACK~**

"Woah." Cagalli was taken aback, but not that much about what Shinn said to Athrun.

"Woah, indeed." Kira nodded, glancing at Shinn and Athrun for a second.

"..." Athrun and Shinn was quiet, the red eyed boy's face was red with anger and the Red Knight's face red in embarrassment.

"Carry on..." Cagalli urged the two to continue their story as she has yet to find the real reason why Lacus had to resort to such a tactic. This time, Shinn was the one who talked.

**~SHINN'S FLASHBACK~**

"_Why did he think that I'm worried about that princess? That Athrun Zala... UGH!" The Destiny pilot yelled at himself. A few seconds after, his face shifted to that of a calm person. It made him think hard on why Athrun and Cagalli broke up. He knows how much Athrun loved Cagalli and vice versa. From his fastened walking, he also slowed down as his focus changed. _

"_Okay... Let me get my facts straight first... From what I've seen and heard, Kira Yamato is an ORB Admiral again after switching affiliations at the last minute... the crew of the Minerva are of course here at the PLANTS... Dearka and Yzak are still here... Lacus Clyne is the new Chairwoman... Athrun is also an Admiral at ORB so that he can stay with Cagalli... but then... just a while ago... he said that they're no longer together... Damn! Why am I so bothered?"_

_Unconsciously, Shinn stomped his feet and noticed that he was acting weird. "I can't! Damn! Luna and I are dating now! There's no point!" The irritated coordinator continued to walk but he was back to his usual temperament. He went out for some fresh air._

_He sat down on a bench just a few steps from the building entrance. He sighed deeply and leaned backwards, with his two hands supporting his body._

"_Now that I think about it, it seems like things were back to how they were...Kira at ORB and Athrun here in ZAFT... I want to know the reason... For a fact, Lacus and Kira were dating but... hmm..." He sighed again and took his sister's phone from his pocket._

_He looked at it, feeling nostalgic with a bit of sadness with every blink. "Anger... Love... What is it that I really want? Is it to hate her or to love her? I accomplished my goals... but... will I... Can I do it?"_

_He scratched his head vigorously, messing up his raven hair. "I don't know if I should... DAMN!" Out of nowhere, the young Ace shouted the last word he said. He sighed in relief after seeing that nobody heard him shout. He sighed again, and decided to go back to his room despite the fact that Athrun Zala's sleeping there as well._

**~END OF SHINN'S FLASHBACK~**

"I'm not sure if Luna's lucky or not to have a boyfriend like you... " The princess clad in golden beauty said to the young ZAFT Ace pilot.

"SHUT UP!" Shinn stood up all of a sudden, raising a fist at Cagalli.

"THIS IS MY TERRITORY! IF YOU DON'T WANT ME TELLING THE TRUTH IN YOUR FACE, THEN LEAVE!"

"SHHHHHH!" The person behind the front desk put her index finger near her mouth and released a loud 'shh' sound.

"Let's continue this upstairs..." Kira gently stood up and offered his three friends to go on with their bickering in a more private place. Cagalli pulled her brother and Kira asked the two remaining guys to follow them. The four of them arrived at a door where secrets are often revealed.

Inside the Conference Room...

The Goddess of Victory, the Red Knight, the Ultimate Coordinator, and the Destiny pilot sat at the round table and conversed again.

"Oh yeah, I wanted to ask... You were worried about Cagalli... and you love and hate someone at the same time...? Am I correct?" the brown haired Coordinator asked the raven haired Coordinator, utterly bewildered with Shinn's story.

"It's just that... She's a girl... for this bastard to do it... " Shinn pointed at Athrun. "...it's just wrong... and I don't want to talk about the person who I love and hate, okay?"

"Fine, fine... Though you sure know a lot..."

"Those are just things I've seen and heard... not eavesdropping or anything though..."

"I know..." Kira replied with a soft giggle.

Athrun and Cagalli, on the other hand, weren't moving an inch. They just sat there, minding their own damn business.

"Looks like the princess and the knight were affected... Painful, isn't it?" Shinn teased them with pride.

"..."

"..."

"Shinn... Let's not say anything... uncalled for, okay?" Kira tried to stop Shinn from creating a mess.

"I'll stop after you guys fill me in with some information..." Shinn took out a booklet and a pen, ready to note down anything of importance.

"About what, Shinn?"

"First, about your relationship with Lacus Clyne and your sudden transfer from ZAFT back to ORB..."

"Ah... I guess it's time... It happened when..."

**~KIRA'S FLASHBACK~**

"_Are you finally settled in? I know you lived your life on Earth for most of the time..." Lacus put her hand on her boyfriend's shoulder, who was fidgeting on his seat._

"_I'm okay, Lacus... Just a little nervous is all..." Kira sighed, tapping his left foot at 3 seconds interval._

"_Why? I told them that you'll be a ZAFT white coat because of your contributions and of course because I need you to stay here with me." Lacus smiled as the Ultimate Coordinator blushed._

_The elevator stopped and the intercom informed them that they were already on the 4__th__ floor, where Lacus' office would be. They both entered her office and there they were greeted by Dearka Elsman, Yzak Joule's second-in-command._

"_Good Afternoon, Chairwoman Clyne." Dearka and Yzak saluted as did Kira and Lacus. _

"_Yzak, you don't have to call me formally... Plain ol' Lacus is just fine." Lacus grinned happily at the two boys. "Is there something the matter?"_

"_I have received word that Athrun Zala was banished from ORB. We're here to personally give you the papers that the Princess sent."_

_Dearka handed Lacus an envelope and she began to open it slowly. She slipped her hand to grab the contents and there she saw three papers._

"_Hmmm... Athrun's transfer paper, a recommendation letter and a personal letter..." The pink princess said as she analyzed the three papers. She looked up at the two boys and told them that she'll handle those. Yzak and Dearka saluted her and left the room._

"_So... what's this all about?" Kira asked his girlfriend, eyeing the papers on her hand._

"_I'll read the personal letter first..."_

_Dear Lacus,_

_Hey. You might be surprised to get these documents from me. That's the truth. I approved Athrun's change of alliance since we're already through. He came here a few days ago and after you guys have left for PLANTs. He said that he thinks our relationship is going nowhere and that we have to break up. Of course I cried, I punched him in the face, I pointed a gun at him... but I love that bastard... I love him but, out of anger, I took out a form and signed it. It was the transfer papers. The other letter is about his entry as a soldier of ZAFT. He doesn't need it because he's a Zala but I wrote one anyway. Just so you know, I'm going to the Atlantic Federation for a conference, and if you'll reply, I might not be able to answer immediately. _

_Sincerely yours,_

_Cagalli Yula Athha_

"_Athrun... broke up with her?" Kira said astonished._

"_Oh Cagalli..." Lacus said with a worried face and looked towards Kira. "If that's the case... then you should go to ORB..."_

"_What? It's okay... That's Cagalli we're talking about... I know she won't let anyone bring her down." Kira was shocked at first but knowing how much Cagalli can endure pain, he had faith in her._

"_But Kira! Cagalli's your sister... You must be very angry with Athrun... and I know that you want to comfort her as much as I do..." Lacus held her boyfriend's arm, telling him to go with both the emotion contained in her words and her eyes._

"_Lacus..."_

"_If Athrun's coming here for his transfer... then I think you should go to ORB... I don't want you beating him up..." Lacus hugged Kira as he sighed quietly. He knew that Kira wanted to rush to his sister and embrace her. "Okay Lacus... I'll go there."_

"_Be careful..." At that, Kira left the room and headed for ORB._

**~END OF KIRA'S FLASHBACK~**

"Oh... kay... Though I didn't hear anything about how you're an ORB soldier now..." Shinn stated, glaring at Kira.

"That's because I'm not done yet... I just stopped because..." Kira's gaze was now at a Cagalli who was sobbing, her head on the table. Kira patted his sister's back. "Sorry, sis..." Cagalli cried even harder and then hugged her brother. Her chest was buried on his chest and she hugged him tightly.

"You are a dead man, Zala." Shinn warned Athrun with a 'you're literally dead' tone.

Athrun just looked at him with almost no emotion and then looked at Cagalli worriedly.

"I'll say this fast... I decided to put my relationship with Lacus to a halt because I wanted to stay in ORB after Cagalli almost..." Kira stopped then sighed, and then began to talk again. "I chose to stay with my sister than to stay with Lacus... She knew the reason why I had to stay behind and she's willing to wait for me..."

"Oh... So that explains why you're here in ORB... and that the real thing was, you two were in a hiatus... I heard them say you two broke up but thank you for clearing it up..." The Destiny pilot nodded with his arms crossed, indicating that he now understood half of his worries.

"But... What _is_ the real reason? Did something happen while you're in ORB?" Shinn asked the brown haired Coordinator. Athrun was just quiet, as he did not know how to approach them without the twins killing him.

"I'll tell you why..." Cagalli wiped her tears with a handkerchief and then told them what _really _happened. She took on a firm stance while sitting and then began.

**~CAGALLI'S FLASHBACK~**

"_Cagalli!" Kira opened the door of the blonde princess' office and gave his twin a hug. Cagalli was shocked to see him in ORB and stood up all of a sudden. She was bewildered by his actions but she hugged him back nonetheless._

"_What are you doing here, Kira?" Kira broke the hug and shook her shoulders._

"_DID THAT ATHRUN ZALA HURT YOU? ARE YOU OKAY? DO YOU WANT ME TO BEAT HIM UP?" The Ultimate Coordinator shouted at her restlessly. One can see how much Kira was worried for Cagalli._

"_Ki...Kira..." The ORB princess was on the verge of tears. A few seconds later, she threw herself at her brother and started to cry loudly._

"_I'll be staying here for you, okay?" He caressed the back of her hair as she cried._

"_I know..." The blonde girl answered even though her face was wet with tears, still on her brother's chest._

_Kira led Cagalli to her room so that she can rest. He opened to door and told her to lie down and he'll just get a glass of water. He went back, only to see Cagalli already sleeping._

"_Cagalli..." He kissed his sister's cheek and then she spoke in her sleep._

"_A...Athrun..."_

_Kira frowned at the mention of his best friend's name but later changed into a sad face because he knew that Cagalli loved Athrun very much and that he can't comfort her better._

_Everything was going on smoothly, with the princess not thinking about what happened between her and Athrun. It was until a certain date that Kira would soon decide to stay in ORB._

"_Kisaka! Where's Cagalli?" Kira was in a panic and his tired body was a giveaway. Kisaka shook his head sideways and he started to run again._

"_CAGALLI! CAGALLI! WHERE ARE YOU?" Kira shouted as he ran at the corridors of the Parliament House. He stepped on his car and drove to the Athha Mansion furiously. As he arrived, a maid came out of the mansion and told him that Cagalli was not home. "I'm sorry Master Kira, but we tried to look for her after you called but we really can't find her..." The maid's hand was on her chest, trying to catch her breath."I understand... Thank you for your help." He dashed to his car and persisted on looking for the Lioness._

"_Where is she..? Oh Cagalli..." The older twin was now beyond worry. It's as if he'll breakdown into pieces if he doesn't succeed in finding his little sister. Almost out of hope, he parked his car at a street and fixed on looking for her within the woods located just across the streets._

"_I know it's unusual to look for her here... but I'm desperate... DAMN! Where's Cagalli...?" The amethyst eyed ORB soldier ventured into the woods and kept on shouting until his throat dried up. He was about to finally give up when he saw a familiar person just a few meters from him, her back facing him and was on the edge of a cliff._

"_Ca..."_

_The person lost consciousness and was about to fall until Kira caught her._

"_Sis... ter..." Kira grabbed her by her arms and pulled her to a hug. He embraced her so tight but there was no response from his beloved sister, who was awaken by the firm grip of her brother._

"_What... are you doing? You could've died!"_

"_I... don't... care..." Cagalli answered him with a blank expression. Kira just hugged her tightly, afraid that she'll do something stupid again._

_Kira broke their hug and examined her whole body for possible injuries. His eyes widened when he saw two cuts on her wrists. It was bleeding so much and that worried Kira even more._

"_Cagalli! Why? WHY? Please... I know you're stronger than this... I know you won't do this... You're brave and you're always thinking positively... Why do this?" _

"_I... don't..." Losing a significant amount of blood with a tired body and tearful eyes, the Princess of ORB lost consciousness again and even though Kira tried to wake her up, she wouldn't._

**~END OF CAGALLI'S FLASHBACK~**

Everyone in the room was quiet. Even Shinn Asuka was silent. Kira Yamato was clenching his fists, not out of anger but out of agony, remembering that Cagalli would even think of doing that.

"WHY ARE YOU SO CHILDISH?" Athrun Zala stood up and slapped her across the face.

Cagalli touched her sore cheek and looked fiercely at the emerald eyed Coordinator as Kira and Shinn both looked utterly surprised at Athrun's sudden action.


	3. Revelations

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN THOSE MECH WITH GUNS AND STUFF XD (Gundam SEED Destiny ^.^)

Chapter 3~~~

Sorry for the late update. Finals Exams and new DS game! hehe

* * *

"Athrun!" Kira stood up and was about to punch Athrun straight in the face. Shinn held Kira and kept him from possibly hurting Athrun.

"Do you think committing suicide is the best thing to do? What will happen to those who love you?" Athrun yelled at Cagalli who looked at him with a tear forming in her eyes, not saying even a single word.

"Athrun, remember that _this _is the reason why we were sent here... because you're always reacting violently!" Shinn said as Athrun held his anger back and looked downwards.

"Wait... now that you mention it, you guys still haven't explained why you're here..." Kira calmed down, his arms slowly descending, while Shinn loosened his grip on the amethyst eyed Coordinator.

Cagalli just sat down in silence, thinking about what Athrun said. As she stared into nothingness, Shinn explained the _real _reason why they're in ORB.

"...to make things short, it was because we kept on shouting and Ms. Lacus' meeting was interrupted because of us..."

"...that's because you're so loud..."

"... and you aren't?"

"GUYS, STOP!" The Ultimate Coordinator stood up and put his hands up as if stopping the two boys from charging at each other.

The young princess left the room and since the three boys were busy minding their own business, nobody noticed that she left. Where she was going was something unknown to the three young war veterans.

"So... the reason why you're here is because you were loud...?" Kira raised a brow and asked the two to confirm what they told him.

"Yeah... Lacus was angry but didn't seem angry... She just told us to cool off and stay here for a while..." Shinn massaged the back of his head and glanced at Athrun once in a while.

"What he said..." Athrun sighed, his head down.

"Seeing as how we've cleared most of the things, I think we can finally wrap it up by - " Kira stopped talking, his head turning left and right, looking for a certain blonde who was currently NOT in the room.

"Wait a sec... Where's...?" Athrun trailed off, unable to continue.

"Let's... find her..." Kira tried his best to keep his emotions intact. He didn't want to panic, even though he was reminded of what transpired in a forest days ago.

The three boys ran as fast as they could so that they could catch up with the ORB princess. They opened all door, peeked even through the smallest of holes and asked anyone they could ask just to find the blonde princess. "Why is she so... ugh!" Shinn complained as he ran, earning a glare from Kira.

"She's heartbroken, for heaven's sake!" Kira reprimanded the ruby eyed boy as they ran.

"... and it's my fault... you don't have to say it..." The midnight haired ZAFT ace said before Kira or Shinn could point at him. He knew too well that it was his fault Cagalli's in a bad mood.

"I didn't say anything... though I agree with that..." Kira stated, stopping in front of a door with a sign, 'Representative's Chambers'.

"You think... she's there...?" Shinn huffed as he asked an exhausted Kira.

"This is the only place I could think off... and because I was too panicked, I forgot to just go straight here instead of checking the first floor up to the third floor."

"You were panicking? Really?" Athrun asked his best friend because it wasn't that much obvious in Kira's face that he was panicking.

"Yes, I was... now then..." He formed a fist and knocked on the door.

"Cal...? Are you there?"

No answer.

"CAGALLI!"

Still no answer.

"Sis!"

Nothing.

"Argh! I had it!" Kira positioned himself so that he could kick the door. "Hey Kira, wait!" Athrun pulled him back, preventing him from breaking the door.

"WAIT? WHY? My sister might be inside, doing something stupid again!"

"What are you all worried about?" A voice came from their right and all three looked at the golden princess. She was wearing a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, slippers and a clip to put her bangs on place. Her hair was tied up and she was holding a bottle of water.

"Ca..." Kira started.

"..ga..." Athrun continued.

"...lli..." Shinn finished.

"CAGALLI!" The Freedom, Justice and Destiny pilots hugged the Akatsuki pilot who was now running out of oxygen.

"Le... let... me... go..." Cagalli tried to say with one eye closed. The three boys let go of her and sighed in relief.

"Please don't scare us like that..." Shinn scolded her which was to her surprise.

"Shinn..." She softly called his name, the raven haired boy immediately blushing after realizing what he did and said before hiding his apple colored face from the older teenagers.

With Athrun and Kira seeing it, they both thought of the same thing.

"Don't tell me..."

"... you like her...?"

"WHAT? NO!" Embarrassed, Shinn Asuka ran passed Cagalli, Athrun and Kira, bumped into a wall then regained his composure then ran again. A slight snort was heard from both Athrun and Kira.

"Okay... That was totally unexpected..." Kira was unable to come up with a more suitable reaction. He turned to his sister who was also a blushing. "Where were you? Do you know how worried we were!?"

"Sorry... Just took a shower and all..."

"...in the Parliament House...?" Athrun commented.

"Yeah. We're heading to the Mansion because being here reminds me of the things I need to do... Now let's go..." She took Athrun's left hand with her right and Kira's right hand with her left, not letting them question her as to why she did what she did. She literally dragged them along the corridors of the building and went straight to the back door. She saw Shinn along the way and let go of Athrun's hand. The Lioness took Shinn's hand and pulled him, leaving Athrun to follow them.

"Let me go!" Shinn protested, trying to free her grip on him.

"No. You're coming with us."

"Where?"

"To my house..."

Shinn was still trying to figure out why she's taking them to her mansion when they finally stopped in front of a limousine.

"Take us to the Mansion." She ordered her driver, who bowed and opened the doors of the car.

"Get inside." She said, waving her hands as if shooing them.

The three boys complied and she was the last one to enter. She closed the door and sighed with her legs crossed.

"Allow me to explain why I'm like this..." Cagalli talked as she looked at the boys who were looking at her intently. "Before I go home, I take a shower and change into casual clothes... the fact that Kira forgot that I always do this really shocked me..."

"Hey, I thought something happened because we were talking about you-know-what so well..."

"Sorry if I didn't tell you... You guys were so busy..."

"Anyway... what are you planning to do with us about Lacus'... uhm... punishment?" Shinn changed the topic by asking about their reason of coming to ORB.

"As she said, you'll be doing community service... You just have to help me and Kira with stuff. And Kira, since these two are here, you can go back to PLANTs..." There was sadness in Cagalli's voice, hoping that he'll go back to be with his girlfriend. Kira patted her back and told her that he's not going anywhere. He still doesn't trust Athrun so he'll stay until she's _really _okay.

"Fine... hehe..." Cagalli gave out a slight giggle as Kira smiled at her.

The trip to the Athha Mansion was quite peaceful after the little moment between the siblings. They arrived at the mansion and was drop off in front of two large wooden doors.

"Thanks. You can grab a bite at the dining room. I'll take these guys upstairs." The ORB princess smiled at her driver and pointed at the three Coordinators with her thumb. The driver bowed at her and proceeded to park the car before entering through the back door.

Cagalli opened the door and were welcomed by 2 to 3 maids in unison.

"Welcome back, Princess Cagalli." The maids greeted as they bowed to her.

"Thank you. Please prepare a light snack for my guests and we'll be down after a few minutes, alright?"

At that, her maids nodded and went to attend to their tasks. Cagalli, on the other hand, led the boys to a guest room, just a few doors after passing Cagalli's room.

"Athrun and Shinn, this is one of the guest rooms and you'll be staying here. Kira's room is there, the door next to mine..." She pointed at the door beside her door and was one room away from Athrun and Shinn's room.

"I'll be in my room... if you boys want to do something, then go ahead and roam around the mansion. Don't you dare disturb me, okay?" She was asked them in an unpleasant mood. She entered her room and locked it before the three Coordinators had a chance to ask her.

"Is she in a bad mood?" Shinn asked his upperclassmen.

"Maybe...? Sometimes I don't know what goes inside her head..." Kira answered.

Athrun was all quiet but it was evident that he was worried. His head was down and his hand formed a fist.

"Athrun... just... let it be..." Kira tried to calm him down after noticing that his best friend was bothered by Cagalli's actions.

"It's just... I blame myself for what's happening... She's in a sour mood because of me..." Athrun sighed as he felt really guilty for leaving her. He didn't know that Cagalli was affected so much. Athrun truly loved her but he decided that it was best to end it.

They went outside the Mansion, specifically the garden to have some fresh air. They continued their chat there.

"I know how much the both of you love each other... Why leave her, Athrun?" Kira wanted to know why and he knows that these two stubborn teenagers won't let a simple thing ruin their relationship.

"I'm actually thinking of the same thing... " Shinn butt in and looked at Athrun.

"Well... I think it's because I just felt like we're not doing good..." Athrun said his head down.

"That's because you left her for a new mobile suit."

"Whaaa...?"

"It's true. You left for PLANTs and came back with a new machine... and to top it all, you became a member of FAITH! Are you telling me that it wasn't your fault? Or everything just happened all of a sudden?" Shinn was furious and poked Athrun's chest aggressively.

"... and he said he did it because that's what's best for Cagalli and for ORB... oh what an idiot..." Kira almost laughed at his own sentence.

"An idiot indeed..." Shinn nodded with his eyes closed.

"Do you plan on tormenting me forever?" Athrun said in a defeated voice, like he was begging them to stop teasing him.

"Not forever... Just for as long as we can..." Kira chuckled.

"You know that people do the most stupid things for the person they love..."

"Both of you were indeed stupid..."

"I agree..."

"Saying that Cagalli was stupid during the war? What kind of brother are you to say that about your own sister?"

"She knows that and I already scolded her... I felt bad because I wasn't there to be with her and that she was under pressure... of course, even more did I felt bad when my own best friend left her..."

"Kira... Please... drop it off..."

"No."

Athrun sighed deeply and was startled when Shinn burst out laughing. Kira reacted the same way Athrun did.

"Why are you laughing, Shinn?" Kira asked in wonder.

".It's just that... hahahaha... you guys... hahaha... still act as children... hahaha..." Shinn couldn't hold his breath longer and won't stop laughing. Kira and Athrun followed suit and began to laugh as well.

A few meters from the garden, a blonde princess watched them as they enjoyed their time talking with each other. She giggled softly and was now out of sight from the window, indicating that she either left the room or just went deeper into her room.


	4. Forgiveness

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE AKATSUKI NOR THE DESTINY (GSD)

Chapter 3 is here!

Sorry for the late update again. Been busy and nervous 'coz our marks are uploaded in our school's site and we're edging on our seats XD

Get ready for an OC! Got the name from P3 (I'm a big FAN XD) That's not him though XD

* * *

"You seem calm, Shinn..." Kira noticed that Shinn's not in his usual hyper attitude.

"Calm...? What do you mean by 'calm'?" asked the younger boy.

"Well, I heard from Athrun and Luna that you are a hot headed guy... so I was just..."

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!? That I'm not capable of being calm?" Shinn shouted furiously. Kira motioned his hands and tried to calm Shinn down.

The ruby eyed Coordinator sighed deeply and counted from three down to one until he finally calmed down. Athrun snorted a bit and Kira sighed in relief. Shinn walked towards the fountain at the middle of the garden and stared at it. The two older boys followed suit and then he started to talk.

"I was not a hotheaded guy before... I guess I changed because I lost my family and just wanted to blame anyone for their deaths... Like blame Athha..." The raven haired boy bent his head down and clenched his fists. The midnight haired Coordinator put his hand on Shinn's shoulder as the brunette patted his back.

"I don't need your sympathy... I finally understood that once something is lost, it can never return... especially the dead..." There were tears forming on his ruby eyes but none of those tears fell down across his cheek. He wiped his tears vigorously and turned around to them.

"I think we should go back inside... Athha might be worried about us... " Shinn walked away, leaving Athrun and Kira in total shock.

"Did he just...?"

"Yes he did, Kira... Yes he did..."

Kira and Athrun walked towards the back door and entered the mansion.

Inside the mansion, they were met by a handsome young man. He greeted them by bowing ninety degrees and then saying, "Good day, Master Kira, Master Athrun and Master Shinn."

"Who is this guy?" Shinn leaned towards Kira and whispered to him.

"I have no idea..." responded Kira in a whisper as well.

"I see you've met him." A voice was heard behind the handsome man. It was the blonde princess. She put his hand on his shoulder and introduced him. "This guy's name is Akihiko. He's my only butler here."

Dumbfounded, the three Coordinators weren't able to mutter a single word. It was until Shinn yelled. "I thought you only had maids!"

"Easy there, brat. I didn't say that I only had maids. Besides, he's the only one who had the courage to apply as my butler... and a handsome guy he is..." Cagalli blushed at her own words. She was looking at her butler shyly. Athrun was evidently jealous and Kira was getting uncomfortable. He dragged Cagalli out of the other three guys' sight.

"Cagalli... Explain."

"Why do I need to explain myself, Kira? I have my own life! If I want a new guy in my life, I will find a new one!"

"You're twisted, you know that? A butler? Are you insane?"

"No. I wanted a guy in my mansion. And I want to move on. "

"I know that you want to move on but does it have to be this way?"

"Mind your own business, Kira!"

"After what happened a few days..."

"I won't do it again! I was just... sad..." Cagalli bowed her head and was about to cry.

Kira hugged his sister and comforted her. "I know... Alright... I won't ruin your fun or whatever it is..."

"Thanks..."

"Now let's go back..."

"Alright." Kira offered a hand to Cagalli and she took it. They went back together, swaying their hands as they walked like they were a bunch of kids.

Noticing the twins, Athrun and Shinn, who were being served by Akihiko looked at them anxiously. "Are you two okay?" Athrun was the first one to ask.

"Yeah." Kira positioned his hands to let Cagalli sit down first. The princess sat down and said, "I don't need you worrying about me." Kira sat down next and sighed after hearing Cagalli's answer.

"Someone's hostile..." Shinn said mockingly. A nerve formed in Cagalli's forehead then she snapped her fingers. "Akihiko. Lock Shinn inside one of the guest rooms..."

"What? Hey! I was only joking!" Shinn stood up and reasoned with Cagalli. "Why are you so damn affected!?"

"Mistress...?" Akihiko called to his mistress to confirm her order.

"Never mind. Leave us."

"Will do, Mistress..." At that, Akihiko the butler bowed and left the four teenagers.

"You're... you're really insane..." The Destiny pilot panted as he was nervous on what might be done to him.

"Don't you dare cross me in my country, and especially not in my own house..." The blonde calmly sipped from a tea cup and gazed at Shinn.

"I.. uh... better go..." Athrun stuck out his thumb and he was sweating real hard.

"Where are you going, Zala?" The Lioness' tone was calm but it was cold.

"Let him go, Cagalli." Kira sounded sympathetic towards his best friend and he knows what Cagalli might do, considering he was the reason she's in a bad mood.

"Fine then. Go to the room you'll be sharing with Shinn." An order from the Lioness was given.

Athrun dashed upstairs and he slammed the door shut.

Shinn raised a brow and dared to speak, despite the Princess' current mood. "He's afraid of you?"

"I don't know... Maybe he thought that I'll do something more painful to him."

"Athrun Zala afraid of Cagalli Yula Athha? That's unheard of..." Kira said, but couldn't hold his laughter then burst out.

"Why are you laughing, dear brother?" Now, the princess was in a worse mood than a few minutes ago.

"Uh..." Speechless, the Ultimate Coordinator tiptoed his way to where Athrun went and Cagalli's eyes just followed.

Shinn was getting nervous. How can she drive Athrun Zala AND Kira Yamato away? Is she someone to be feared? "Now we can talk in private."

"Huh...?" Totally confused on what's going on, Shinn just looked at her as she sipped from her cup.

"I drove those two away so that we can talk... Do you think you can work peacefully without being friends with me?"

"Peacefully? Are you saying that if we're still 'enemies', that you'll ambush me without me knowing?" Shinn asked calmly, though he wanted to shout at her.

Cagalli giggled at his statement. "Of course not! Imagine if you still have a grudge against me... How can you work well knowing that I'll be the one giving you orders? Besides, I wanted to make peace with you... I know that you were bewildered when the guy who you supposedly killed turns out to be alive and he forgave you..."

"We-well... That's true... Fine then..." The raven haired Coordinator stood up and stuck out his hand. "I... I'm... uh... so-sorry..." He was having a hard time saying it but he succeeded.

"I'm sorry as well." She took his hand and shook it firmly. Cagalli closed her eyes and smiled at Shinn. Shinn blushed at her actions, scratched his head, and then nodded.

They both sat down again but Shinn was curious so he asked her something.

"Why were you in a bad mood again?"

"Huh...? It's just that... It's about Athrun..." Cagalli hid her face and clenched both her fists that were resting on her lap.

"I... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to... uh... remind you..." Shinn reached out to Cagalli and patted her back.

The Lioness smiled at him and he jumped backwards after realizing what he was doing.

"Hahaha!" A laugh was heard from her. It was a gentle laugh, like she was enjoying herself. Shinn smiled softly, feeling the warmth of the princess's happiness.

Cagalli slowly stopped laughing and dragged Shinn. "He-hey! Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see!" She pulled him cheerfully and seeing her like that made Shinn feel guilty that he blamed everything on her. "She's... she's just like any one of us... a child... an 18 year old that was given too many responsibilities..." He thought to himself.

As Shinn contemplated about his attitude towards her before, she finally stopped running.

"We're here..." She huffed and punched in a code.

Shinn just looked at her tired face then at a big metal door that was about to open. The door was located at the basement of the mansion and he didn't realize that they went downstairs. He stood in awe as a golden mobile suit appeared before him.

"Hey... This is..."

"ORB -01 Akatsuki..." She said without looking at him.

"Wait a second..." Shinn remembered the events that took place before the battle at Messiah. "Did you fight in space alongside Kira and Athrun that time?"

"No... I was the one you fought while all of us were still in earth. Captain Roanoke fought you in space..."

"So when the freedom reappeared... That was you inside?"

"Yeah... Since I can't go with them, I entrusted my sword to him..." Cagalli said with sadness.

"Why are you showing me this?"

"I have no special reason... I just want to... look at it with someone..." She stared at the Akatsuki then sat on the ground. She did nothing but stare and Shinn couldn't help but worry. He sat beside her and looked at it as well.


	5. Changes

I apologize if Chapter 4 was kind of short. Don't worry, though. Chapter 5 is going to be way longer.

DISCLAIMER: I'm a self-proclaimed Cagalli Yula Athha but I still don't own Gundam SEED Destiny.

* * *

A pair of hazel eyes was staring at the golden beauty in front of her. She wasn't happy that she has a weapon of destruction but because it was given to her by her father.

"_I'm giving this to you as my answer to that need."_

Those words echoed inside her head and she couldn't help but tear up. She knew that she was adopted right after he gave her a photograph that contained a young woman and her twin children. The moment she turned the photo, there she saw the two names she didn't expect to see.

_Kira_

_Cagalli_

It was heart aching to see her father push the red button to the self-destruction command. Her loving father perished along with the other older emirs who decided to stay behind.

"_The seeds have flown. We've succeeded. We won't let ORB or this world fall into the hands of those bastards!"_

The young blonde princess didn't know why her father did it. It was only until Kisaka told her why Lord Uzumi did it when they finally reached space. She hid her face in her knees so that a certain ruby eyed Coordinator wouldn't see the tears that stained her face.

Shinn Asuka was also looking at the golden mobile suit. He, however, was thinking about a different thing. It wasn't his past, and it wasn't his family's death. It was more of what the person beside him felt during those times when she felt like giving up and would just choose to stop.

"_I command the forces of ORB to stop attacking that ship! What does ORB have against the Minerva! Please, Takemikazuchi... STOP!"_

Her words rang in his mind like it was a dream. He wanted to think that he wasn't part of the reason why she has suffered. No, it was the total opposite. He _was, _in fact, one of the reasons why she was having a hard time. He yelled at her, blamed her for everything without even knowing how she felt. Heck, he knew that he also took the lives of people who were only fighting to protect their family. Didn't he fight to protect, like them? What was his reason for killing them? The person he hated was trying to stop all of them, whether they were an ORB, a ZAFT or an EAF soldier, from possibly killing each other. He wasn't thinking for what's good for he charged at her, as if wanting to annihilate a threat.

Shinn glanced at Cagalli whose head was on her knees. He could hear her sniffing and he couldn't say anything to calm her down. He knows that she can't move on that fast. He, too, was unable to move on two years ago. Shinn put his hand on her back and patted it.

"It's going to be alright..."

The Destiny pilot moved beside Cagalli until they were as close as shoulder to shoulder. The princess felt a light thug on her shoulder and peeked for a bit. Her face was all wet with tears and as soon as Shinn saw it, he took a handkerchief for his pocket and wiped her face.

"Stop crying... It's not suitable for the daughter of the Lion of ORB..."

Hearing the same words that were said to her by her beloved father, she cried even harder, wailing like a child who lost everything. She threw herself to Shinn and they both lost their balance. Cagalli was on top of Shinn and she buried her head on his chest. She kept on crying and Shinn just managed to comfort her by caressing the back of her head. They were on that position for a few minutes, maybe 10-15 minutes, until Cagalli gradually stopped crying. Shinn checked if she was still awake, and as expected, she fell asleep. He gently stood up and laid her head on his lap. He looked at her, smiled unconsciously and brushed her bangs aside. He blushed at the moment he realized that he was happy to see her. The thought of him caring for her too much was racing inside his mind. He doesn't know if he felt bad for her or if he has feelings. Maybe it was because after a long time of crying, she finally fell asleep with a smile on her face. Was she happy that there was someone who would stay beside her, or is it because she finally released all of her emotions which she has been keeping inside her for so long?

The young Coordinator doesn't have the answer to that question. There is one thing he knows, though. It was that fact that they've finally become close friends.

It was already getting late. They already missed dinner and it was 10 in the evening. They were indeed there for a long time, and he was a bit bothered on why Kira and Athrun didn't look for them. He shook that thought, stood up, and carried Cagalli bridal style. He tiptoed his way upstairs and was greeted by Akihiko.

"Shall I...?"

Shinn knew what he was talking about. He politely shook his head sideways and mouthed, "I'll handle this..."

Akihiko nodded slightly and proceeded back to his quarters. He was waiting for their return since before dinner and Shinn guessed that he was tired of waiting for hours. He climbed the stairs and opened the door to Cagalli's room as soon as he reached the door. He put Cagalli down, keeping her from awakening from her slumber. He was about to leave when he felt his shirt being pulled. He turned around and saw Cagalli holding on his shirt. He knelt down and asked her what was wrong.

"Please... stay here..." Her voice was weak, for a reason that she was just sleeping and after a minute, waking up to stop Shinn from leaving. Shinn nodded and smiled, then sat on the side of her bed.

"I will stay here for as long as you want..." He didn't look at her but his tone was full of assurance that he'll definitely stay. Cagalli smiled, he didn't see it and slowly closed her eyes. Before he knew it, she was asleep again. He stayed there beside her, not minding the time and not feeling sleepy. He stood up and looked around her room. It was simple yet elegant looking room. There were no unnecessary decorations, no girly stuff and no unwanted filth. It didn't seem like a room for a girl but it looked definitely like royalty. There was a dresser that has a framed photograph standing on it. It was on the left side, and Shinn took it from its undisturbed position out of curiosity.

"A picture of a lady and her children...?"

It took a while before it dawned to Shinn about Cagalli and Kira.

"Oh yeah, that's right... They're twins... so this must be their mother..." His eyes were fixed on the lady who was smiling on the picture.

"She's beautiful... If Cagalli grows up, she'll be as beautiful as her mother..." After finishing his sentence, he blushed at his own thought and he gave out a gentle laugh. He then realized that he has feelings for her. It was from a long time ago. He admired her, he wanted to meet her close up and tell her how much he looked up to her. He put the framed photo back to its resting place and went back to Cagalli's side. He sat on the same spot where he was on and started to talk even though he knew too well that no one would hear him.

"Even before Stella or Luna, I have loved you... You're brave, compassionate, beautiful, sexy..." He laughed at himself for saying those two last words before he continued. "... and I love it that we're similar..." He yawned, rubbed his eyes and kissed her forehead. "Good night... See you tomorrow..."

Shinn walked towards the door, who just felt sleepy all of a sudden, looking at Cagalli before turning off the lights and finally stepping out of the room, and proceeded to the room he was sharing with Athrun.

It was 7 in the morning and Cagalli finally woke up from her slumber. She opened her golden orbs, rubbing it and adjusting her sight to the sunlight that was passing through her room's window pane.

Sitting up on her bed, she looked around and wondered, "How did I get here...?" She slipped her fluffy slippers on her feet and walked lazily out of her room. She heard noises coming from the dining area and she went straight to where the noise was coming from.

"Morning, sis..." Kira greeted as soon as he saw her. Athrun and Shinn did the same. She pulled a seat beside Kira and yawned.

"Ewww, Cagalli... Good heavens, you're a girl. Act like one." Kira reprimanded her but she didn't flinch. "... and wash your face... Look, you still have..." Kira pointed at the edge of her lip, where dried saliva was forming a map of ORB on her cheek. She stood up and washed her face on the sink. She wiped her face with a hand towel, which was handed to her by Akihiko. She went back to her seat and slapped her face with both hands to wake her up.

"...Are you still angry with us...?" Athrun was hesitating but he wanted to know.

"I'm not angry... just... a bit irritated... It's nothing serious..." She said in between yawns. "What were you guys talking about early in the morning?" she added as she looked at them.

"Nothing important... Things that had happened in the past..." Shinn was the one who answered Cagalli. She nodded in a minute's interval, indicating that she understood.

"More like how stupid we were!" Kira said in a loud voice but he wasn't angry. He was actually enjoying his time and that he knew he was one of them.

"Well, we become stupid for the people we love... Didn't we already talk about his?" Athrun interrupted Kira's chain of laughs and he was also laughing as he said it.

"Oh you guys..." Cagalli was also enjoying her time, like her twin and it was because her morning has become lively.

They resumed eating their breakfast quietly. The three boys gazed at Cagalli alternately.

Kira.

Then Shinn.

Lastly, Athrun.

Kira again, then Shinn again then Athrun again.

The blonde felt their piercing looks on her. She put down the silverware, wiped her face and opened her mouth. "What's wrong?"

"Uh..." The three chorused for about 15 seconds.

"What...?" Cagalli was running out of patience. She looked at a gulping Kira, sweating Shinn and a pale Athrun. "I will ask again... What. Is. Wrong?"

"Ca..." Kira started but he wasn't able to finish.

"It... it's nothing!" Athrun put his hand on Kira's mouth and then Shinn dragged them away from Cagalli.

"I wonder what's wrong..." She shrugged her shoulders and continued eating. Akihiko came to view as he served Cagalli some orange juice.

"Do you plan on revealing _that_ to her?" Athrun asked his best friend.

"Why... can't you just... keep it to yourself..." Shinn told Kira as he panted.

"If she found out later, she's going to kill us... My sister can be... unforgiving..."

"I don't want my ex-girlfriend to kill me..."

"I just became her friend... I don't want to mess up with her..."

The three boys looked at each other then sighed deeply. They were nervous because of the thing they talked about before she came down. They knew too well that Cagalli can't know of it. What was that conversation about? These boys were determined not to _ever _tell her. It's like fighting the Messiah, Requiem and the Genesis without weapons. It's just an exaggeration but they know the danger. They went back to the dining table, only to find out that she was no longer there.

"Uhm, Akihiko, where's Cagalli?" As the over protective brother he was, Kira asked the butler immediately.

"She went upstairs, Master Kira. She told me to tell you to come to her room."

"Oh I see. Thanks." Kira walked towards the stairs as Akihiko bowed. Athrun and Shinn followed him.

They stopped once they reached the door to her room. Kira slowly reached out his hand to knock on the door when it suddenly swooshed open, revealing a blonde haired princess in her Representative's uniform.

"He-hey, sis..." was the only thing Kira was able to say. The raven haired and midnight haired Coordinators were still.

"We'll be going to the Parliament House to discuss your 'punishment'..." Cagalli used air quotes on the last word. "Get dressed." She ordered. The boys nodded and proceeded to their rooms.

Cagalli asked Akihiko to come with them and to change into casual attire. The butler nodded and went to his quarters. The Lioness went downstairs, dashing through the front door. There was already a car waiting and the driver standing near the driver's seat door.

After a few minutes, four boys came out of the mansion in their civilian outfits.

Kira was wearing his white top that has a pink color on the opposite side of the coat, a purple shirt inside, black pants, and his favorite pair of boots.

Athrun was wearing a cream trench coat and a violet inner shirt with matching black pants and pointed shoes.

Shinn was wearing a red hooded jacket, a grey inner shirt, knee length denim shorts and closed shoes.

Akihiko, the butler, was wearing a simple green shirt, dark blue pants and black leather shoes.

"Why is he...?" Shinn asked as he pointed to Akihiko. Cagalli gave out a toothy smile and said, "It's a secret..." she put her index finger on her lips. Kira, Athrun and Shinn didn't question her anymore. They went inside the car with Cagalli. Their thoughts on why a butler's with them intrigued them though. Their eyes were fixed on Cagalli's one and only butler.

"Aki-kun, I'm assigning you as my bodyguard. We need to sign you up and we're ready to go!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"WHAT!?" The driver was startled and almost bumped into a car from the opposite side. He put the car back to the right lane as the passengers grab hold of anything to keep them from getting thrown out of the car.

"What the hell? Are you trying to kill us!?"

"I-I'm sorry, Princess."

"I'm not talking about you. I know you were only startled because these three idiots yelled simultaneously..."

They all regained their composure. Cagalli glared at them. "What's the big deal?"

"We just..." Shinn tried to say.

"We were just shocked to hear you say that..." Kira said nervously.

"Say what?" The hazel eyed princess raised a brow for she did not know what they were talking about. It was Athrun who cleared her unawareness.

"...you said that he's going to be your bodyguard..." Athrun stated.

"Oh, right…. Akihiko here's a trained killer… er, I mean, a trained soldier…" Cagalli responded as she sweat dropped.

"So-soldier…? You mean he wasn't a civilian?" Kira asked.

"I forgot to tell you that small detail… Let's start off with introductions… ehem…" She cleared her throat and introduced her butler. "This is Akihiko Sermine. He's partly Japanese and he doesn't know what his father was so… well, you get the idea… There was one time when I was pointed a gun at by a suspicious person. He came and saved me and then I asked him if he can be my butler… Then I thought, maybe he can be a bodyguard too! I asked Kisaka to test his skills and the results were… surprising…"

"Results…? So, how was it then?" Athrun asked her.

"The results showed that his abilities were that of an assassin…"

"That… that sounds dangerous…" Kira's tone was obviously nervous but Akihiko butted in.

"Please do not worry. I have no intention of hurting the princess. I swear on my mother's grave…" He defended as he bowed his head down.

"Look what you did Kira! It's okay Aki-kun. I don't doubt you." Cagalli glared at her brother then turned to Akihiko and smiled at him. "You are most kind, Princess."

"Now, Aki-kun didn't want to be a bodyguard but I insisted. He agreed to me after I asked him a hundred times…"

"You sure he's really that good? What if they just faked the results?" Shinn wanted to make sure he was up to the job.

"Are you saying my men are unreliable!?" Cagalli pointed at Shinn with her index finger angrily.

"No! I'm just saying that, you might want to see his skills personally…" Shinn waved his hands sideways and suggested to her.

"Hmm… I guess you're right…"

"Wait."

All eyes were on Athrun. His index finger and thumb were on his chin. It was obvious that he was thinking of something.

"Athrun…?" The blonde's brow was raised as she questioned the midnight haired Coordinator's thought.

"There was someone who pointed a gun at you….?"

Shinn and Kira had exclamation points on their heads. They knew where Athrun was getting at. Cagalli was threatened, no, she was about to get hurt. But it wasn't important now, it has passed and here she is, safe and sound.

"Oh… That incident…" Cagalli laughed awkwardly. "I sneaked out of the mansion during the night and I was walking at the park… Then someone pointed a gun, told me I should die, the he was about to pull the trigger when Aki-kun appeared and slammed him with a tree bark…"

"This was when….?"

"When Athrun was still in PLANTs to help you guys get settled…"

"I… I'm sorry…" Athrun looked away and apologized. "Nah, it's fine. I'm okay!" she smiled at her emerald eyed friend. Their little moment was interrupted when the car stopped.

"Oh, looks like we're here…" The blonde opened the door of the car and went outside. "Come on!"

"Sorry princess, I wasn't able to open the door for you…" the driver lowered his head.

"Don't worry!" She patted her back and then turned her head to look at the four gentlemen sitting inside the car. "What are you people doing? Come on!"

At that moment, the four men dashed outside the car and followed the ORB princess who was walking way ahead of them. As they walked, they heard whispers from various people who saw them.

"Isn't that Athrun Zala?"

"Look, it's Master Kira!"

"Who's that guy? He doesn't look familiar…"

"Haven't you heard? That's her new butler!"

"Butler? I thought she only had maids!"

"I don't know if it's the princess who's lucky to have four handsome guys around her or if the guys are lucky to be entertained by the princess herself…"

"Look like we're the talk of the town now…" Shinn glanced sideways, getting all kinds of stares from the employees.

"It happens everywhere." Athrun answered. "I know! It just feels weird to be involved in a rumor with her. I mean, it's like when it's about her, it's more of like a threat!"

"I didn't get you there…" Kira told him as he and his best friend try to guess what Shinn wanted to say.

"Look, if we were in a rumor with some starlet or something, it'll be like we're some kind of lover… but if you were to be rumored with her, it's like they're thinking that we'll do something to her… and if something does happen, the blame would be to us!"

"I get you now…"

"Shut your traps, boys. We're here." The four boys were disturbed from their little chat when they heard her voice. She opened the door, stepped inside and the boys followed suit.

"Okay, now what?" Shinn asked enthusiastically.

Cagalli pushed a button on the intercom. "Kisaka, the papers for Asuka and Zala." She removed her finger from the button and looked at Shinn. "Lacus sent papers stating that you two are under my wing for a whole month. She also stated that I should teach you two to refrain from arguing…"

"That sounded like a request…" Kira said.

"She told me on the phone about what to do with you. The paper she sent was an approval sheet that you boys are to stay here for a month, doing errands for me, getting paid by ME, and be ORB employees for a while…"

As she explained to them, Kisaka peeked through the door and waved the papers. "Cagalli, here it is…" He entered the office and put the papers on the table. He smiled at her and left.

"Before we proceed, I'll sign this first." She reached for a pen and signed on the papers. "Kira, can you please take these to Kisaka? Tell him to give me the papers for Akihiko Sermine."

"Alright." The amethyst eyed Coordinator took the papers from his sister and stepped out of the room.

"Oh darn! Wait Kira!" She stood up and slammed her palms on the table.

"Hmm?" Kira turned his back.

"You have to take Shinn and Athrun with you."

"We have to come with him?" Shinn asked.

"I.D."

"I.D.?"

"Yeah. Show you identification cards to prove you're really who you say you are. You know, it's the process. We all know that."

"Okay then. Let's go, Athrun." Shinn nodded, as if asking Athrun to come and walked away with Kira.

"It's just the two of us Aki-kun."

"Pi-Princess…"

"Are you up to it?"

"If you wish for it, then yes, princess…"

"Excellent. Oh yeah, what was those boys talking about before I went down?"

"It is a secret, Princess. I was told not to tell you by Master Kira."

"Remember that I outrank him… even if his skills are far greater than mine."

"But…"

"No buts, Akihiko Sermine! Tell me!" she demanded. Akihiko swallowed and began to talk.

"First, I must warn you, Princess. It is something that might trigger your nerves."

"You can talk casually. I hate those kinds of formalities."

"My apologies, I mean, I'm sorry…"

"Just get to it."

"Ah, yes… Well, it's something that you'll get mad at… and I heard that you might 'kill' them…"

"So it's something I shouldn't know?"

"Precisely…"

"Still, tell me what it is… I wanna know."

"It's about…"

Her butler wasn't able to finish when the door swooshed open. "We're back." Kira was the last one to enter and closed the door.

Cagalli sighed deeply and mouthed, "I'll talk with you later." Akihiko simply nodded, and a sweat formed on the side of his face. "Were you able to get the paper for Aki?" She changed her expression as he went to look at Kira.

"Yup. Here it is…" Kira handed Cagalli the papers and she scanned it as soon as she got her hands on it. The boys sat down on the chairs provided for her guests. They were all quiet and the only sound that could be heard was their breathing and the shuffling of papers. Cagalli laid the papers down and signed it with a ballpoint pen. "Kisaka will be the one to assist you. Go back to him, and this time, take Aki with you. I'm sure you won't be back here until later. Now go, I still have things to finish. Shoo." She made a shooing gesture at them. The boys nodded slightly and went out through the door.

Kisaka's office…

"So she sent you here again." Kisaka looked at the boys who were now standing in front of him.

"I have my own office, so I'll just go…" At that, Kira waltzed out of the room, leaving Shinn, Athrun and Akihiko to Kisaka.

"Kisaka-san, what does Kira do here? We've been together for a while but I forgot to ask him…" Athrun was curious and was only reminded when Kira left.

"Do things for Cagalli. There's no war and she doesn't want him doing things like checking up on military facilities. Other people do that…"

"Ahh… So what happens to us now?" Athrun asked again.

"We're just waiting for your uniforms and then I'll brief you."

"I… see…" Athrun lowered his head a little and walked towards a chair. Shinn followed suit and sat down with him. Akihiko also sat down as he didn't know what else he could do at the moment.

"Akihiko Sermine?"

"Ye-yes, sir?" He stood up as soon as he heard his name being called. He was calm but deep inside he was a bit out of it.

"You don't have a uniform since you're her personal bodyguard. Show me your I.D. and then sign here, then go back to her." Kisaka pointed at a blank space located just after the body of the document.

Akihiko took his I.D. from his pocket and gave it to Kisaka. He leaned towards the desk so that he can sign the document. After doing so, Kisaka gave him back the paper and nodded at him. He made his way towards the door and bowed at them before being completely out of sight.

At Cagalli's office…

"Come in." She heard a knock on her door as she was analyzing the documents. The door opened slowly, revealing a familiar person. He entered and closed the door then went in front of her. "Here are the papers."

She took them from him and stood up. She placed it on a drawer, particularly in an 'S' section. She went back to her post and sat down. She clasped her hands and looked at Akihiko intently.

"Now, where were we…?"

Knowing what she meant, he swallowed hard, fixed his shirt and then started to talk.

"In the PLANTs, ZAFT is currently making three new mobile suits with Masters Kira, Athrun and Shinn as the pilots…"

"…"

"…"

".."

*gulp*

"…"

"WHAT. DID . YOU SAY…? MOBILE SUITS?"

"Ye-yes…"

"So, Lacus allowed this…?"

"As I've heard, yes…"

The Lioness sighed, putting her hand on her forehead. "Stubborn… fine…"

"Pi-princess…? Are you… okay?"

"I'm fine…"

"How about your friends…?"

"You don't have to worry about it… ugh damn that Lacus…" She tried to calm herself down but ended up cursing her friend unconsciously. "Excuse me, Princess?"

"It's nothing. That Lacus can be stubborn sometimes… Anyway, that's her nature. Maybe it is better if we also start to construct a new model…" She pondered.

"… but weren't you the one who suggested keeping the military facilities in minimal condition?"

"Yes I did… Perhaps, she allowed it to prepare for… future events… You know, in case wars break out again…"

"You're right…"

"I'll have to send Kira back to PLANTs sooner or later…"

"…"

"I forgot to ask you, can you hold a… gun?"

"Yes."

"Good. You're my body guard so you have to stay near, got it?"

"As you wish, Princess…" Akihiko bowed with his right hand in front of his body. Cagalli slapped his back and yelled, "Cagalli is fine, okay!"

"Yes, Cagalli-sama."

Meanwhile, at Kisaka's office…

"…and now he's gone…" Athrun said, looking at the now closed door.

As Shinn and Athrun stared at the door, it opened and it broke their train of thought. The two Coordinators were thinking on what might occur between Akihiko and Cagalli, and pretty much about other stuff, like Athrun on his jealousy towards Akihiko and Shinn on his feeling for Cagalli.

"Here are their uniforms, Colonel Kisaka." A woman of 25 years of age came in with two ORB uniforms in plastic covering.

"Thank you." He took it from the woman and she left the room. He took off the plastic and gave the top part to them first.

"Ensign uniforms for Athrun Zala and Shinn Asuka." The boys took it from Kisaka and tried it on. It fit them well and removed it again. "Here are the other parts like the inner shirt and the pants. Shoes are not provided."

They both nodded and as they tried to see if the pants was too long or too short for them. "Change now and you can start as soon as possible." They nodded again and left the room.

"Kids these days…" Kisaka sighed but with a smile on his face and went back to his work.

Cagalli's office…

"Princess…"

"Cagalli."

"Cagalli-sama, were you not off today?"

"Well, I called at the last second and I told the front desk that I'll be coming to work today."

"I see."

"Can we go to the training hall?" Cagalli asked out of the blue.

"Why?"

"I want to see your skills."

"Okay. If I must…" He gestured his hand as if offering her to take his hand. She took it gladly and both left the room.

Arriving at the training hall in the building next to the Parliament House, they went inside and Cagalli asked for a simulation for Akihiko. The front desk nodded and typed something on his computer.

"Please proceed on the 2nd floor. You will be assisted there."

"Thanks." They walked towards the elevator, entered then punched in the floor number. The elevator closed and they felt it move upwards. It stopped and the door opened. They were greeted by an employee and led them to a room.

"This is the simulation room. Inside, you will be briefed about the mission to be done. If you may…" The man led them and they entered the room. It seemed like only one room but as a button was pushed on the control panel, light shone on another room which was a whole lot bigger that the room they were in.

"This is the viewing room and that is where the trainee will go. We will set sensors on the trainee's body for a real life experience of being shot or stabbed. It will all be a hologram to ensure their safety but I ensure to you that it's accurate."

"Hmmm. Very well… Are you ready?" After hearing a satisfying explanation, the blonde haired princess looked at Akihiko and asked him. He simply nodded and proceeded to the larger room. She could see him being dressed with a vest that has sensors on all parts of his body. He was given a gun that was used for training. The lights on the smaller room were turned off and realistic scenery of a terrain can now be seen from the larger room.

"Now, the mission is… Find the base of the enemy force and take down their soldiers! You can identify them by the red color on their clothing. Now, proceed!"

A timer can be seen inside the large room and Cagalli and Akihiko guessed that it was to record how fast he can complete the mission. She sat down on a chair and watched Akihiko as he started to walk stealthily within the holographic terrain.

* * *

Please R & R! Tell me about grammatical errors okay? I always forget about terms and end up using the same words over and over again. Sometimes I use the wrong word. So if you see something wrong, tell me! I'll be happy to update for you guys XD


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